Meet Dimitri Reyes

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dimitri Reyes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dimitri , thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

I develop several artistic philosophies “out in the field” during Q&A’s after performances or during teaching engagements, where conversation pushes us into uncharted and unplanned territory. While having a conversation with my wife one day, she mentioned that what she appreciates about artists are how they cultivate relationships with their work. How it’s similar to how a relationship between two people are cultivated. I thought about this as I walked into one of my monthly writer’s workshops and found myself mentioning this conversation. And within the massaging of this idea, I followed the relationship metaphor and concluded that we needed to court our art– take it out on dates and show it a good time. If we concentrate on fostering a closeness with our artistic discipline, our creativity will stay healthy.

As a poet, we begin our journeys writing what we know, and as a human being, we experience and synthesize so much of our world through both pleasure and pain. Pain is what helps us understand pleasure. Our “bad” experiences are our teachers, they offer us knowledge as to what to do/not do again. But as an artist who is creating with pain as the main driver, we leave ourself closed off of the opportunities to grow and enter a vicious cycle. I cannot — for my own health, and for the social responsibility of being there for my family, friends, and colleagues — stay in that headspace, so I therefore make the concerted effort of “courting my art.” This can come in many forms such as the following: reading a book or watching a movie that will inspire me, take part in community readings/conversations surrounding literature and the arts, engaging with music as a listener and participant via dance or spoken word, people watching, bird watching, spending time in nature, loud spaces, silence, rest, the list goes on.

I stay curious and open. I commit myself to being a light. And I enjoy the process.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a Puerto Rican poet who grew up in the city of Newark, New Jersey. I’m thankful for the experiences I’ve had living in one of the largest and most populated cities in New Jersey, experiencing both hard times that come from the many socio-economic challenges that plague urbanized America and brilliant instances of community, art, and love. This translated into my storytelling, my teachings, and how I choose to support other artists.

Currently, I am of many facets: as a poet performing and dedicated to Jazz and Nuyorican disciplines, I’m committed to the theatricalization of poetics: using sound and movement in order to help tell stories that bring people closer together, while also teaching them. I am a teaching artist who works with most age groups, from adolescents to adults, in the subjects of creative writing, English literature, theatre, social media, Latine studies, and social justice. Additionally, I also offer free educational content via YouTube and other social media platforms, where I offer writing tips and advice, book recommendations, and publishing tips for writers who cannot afford/don’t have access to workshops, classes, or other means of literature education. I am a Marketing & Communications Director at CavanKerry Press, a non-profit publisher that has been producing works of poetry, memoir, and lyric-essays for 25 years where I use my knowledge as an actively engaged writer to help further the press’ mission and help facilitate their programming efforts, while using my skills as an educator to work closely with our authors on how to further advance their careers through book exposure and writing opportunities. Lastly, I am a proud arts administrator, working behind the scenes with many local, state, and national organizations as an adjudicator, program developer, placemaker, or coordinator in order to help further the careers of other educators, writers, and artists.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1) A good disposition.
2) An openness to engage.
3) Being OK with uncertainty.

On a panel one day, I heard poet Willie Perdomo say, “In life, there are people that need to catch Hell before Heaven is revealed to them.” Innately, before hearing this, I lived by it– in terms of my own personal journey and who I engage with. When I got into the workforce, I had the desire for possibility and to make things work. Generally, I saw that as long as I went into each opportunity open and like water– just looking with different ways of how I can fill a cup– the flexibility allowed other moments for success. And I attribute this to being OK with the idea of uncertainty. Fear comes from the unknown, anger and disappointment comes from things not going the way they were planned. But if you plan that fear, anger, and disappointment are possibilities, they are a part of the plan and no longer manifest themselves in the same way. Instead, these challenges categorically umbrella themselves under uncertainty, which is part of every process and it becomes easier to openly engage with a solution.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’m the artist that is always in the space of being the student, and working with others helps me be a better writer. Poets we know through history that are the philosophers and theologians are those engaged with their community. I want to continue to work with others interested in bringing their poetry projects to life and reaching their poetry goals. It could be someone looking for a writing community to write with. Someone who is writing a book and needs editing guidance and manuscript coaching. Maybe someone is interested in publishing poems, or even writing poems and needs someone to hold them accountable. I’ve helped advise individuals get into Masters of Fine Arts Programs, residencies, and apply for fellowships or plan book tours or performance circuits. If you and someone you know can use my assistance, please consider one of the many avenues of working with me:

YouTube (it’s free!)
https://www.youtube.com/@DimitriReyesPoet

Patreon (1-on-1 month-to-month assistance)
https://www.patreon.com/dimitrireyes

Virtual Workshop Series
https://www.dimitrireyespoet.com/shop/?orderby=date

Manuscript Consultations/Editing Services/Professional Development & more
https://www.dimitrireyespoet.com/services/

Contact Info:

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